


Her Decision

by mabscifiromantic



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 02:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2371490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabscifiromantic/pseuds/mabscifiromantic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weeks after the disaster date Oliver hasn’t relented in his choice to be the Arrow first and keep Felicity at a distance from him personally.  Finally Felicity makes her choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Decision

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into writing for Olicity. Figured starting with a drabble would be good. Season 3 angst. Please comment. I need to know what to fix.

He knew what was coming. So he drew on his newest mask and waited.

Unlike the many confrontations over the last few weeks, where Felicity approached him with hope and determination, this time was different. She looked just as determined but the hope was nearly extinguished.

“Oliver,” she breathed his name so quietly he would have missed it had he not been listening for it. He turned to give her full attention, knowing everything was about to change. He asked for this, now he had it. He met her eyes and waited.

“I’m only going to ask this once. Are you sure?” Was he sure? Was he really going to let her go? Was he really sure he could live with the consequences? He wished so badly that he could say, _No_. Then the memory of her on the table behind him and the sense of helplessness as he waited for her to wake invaded his mind.

He resettled his mask and answered. “I’m sure.”

That last spark of hope faded from her eyes and Felicity, for the first time in front of him, put on a mask.

“Okay. I can’t change your mind. I’m done trying. You made your choices.” For one brief moment the façade cracked and her pain washed through her eyes. A deep breath and she buried it, “Now you need to hear mine.” Suddenly a wave of foreboding ran through him.

“Somewhere along the way you and Digg and this mission became my life. We are partners, the three of us and we will stay partners. This is still my life, by my choice and you cannot and will not take that from me.” Steel backed her words and he knew she would keep fighting him on this point as she stared him down. He conceded, grateful that he wouldn’t lose her completely.

“As for your idiocy regarding Digg… that ends now!” Her loud voice making its first appearance. Oliver had the urge to smile but provoking her when she was finally seeing things his way seemed a bad idea.

“We’re a team and since you have chosen to be the Arrow first, you will need us.” Felicity paused to ensure his compliance. He nodded briefly, before she continued, “Oliver Queen however, doesn’t.”

His face contorted to show his confusion, “What…”

“Oliver Queen doesn’t need a bodyguard or an EA anymore. We’ll find new ways to explain our presence but some things will change.” Oliver was reluctant but couldn’t disagree. A deep breath, that never boded well from her, “I got a job offer… from Ray Palmer. He wants me to help him integrate into the company and rebuild Applied Sciences.”

He didn’t bother to withhold his contempt for the idea, “Felicity, no. Not a good idea.”

“Yes, it is. Hear me out.” She turned away and paced a few steps before refocussing on him. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. First, I am invested in making sure QC recovers both from the damage inflicted by the Undertaking and from Isabel and Slade. Second, in rebuilding what we destroyed when we demolished Applied Sciences. And third, this is **your** company so I figure having me inside can only help when you want to move forward and reclaim it.” So far he finds himself proud of the thought she put into this. Of her commitment to his family legacy. So far this conversation hasn’t gone at all the way he anticipated.

“Did you accept the job?” He finds he has to ask, even knowing the answer.

“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first because as much as I want it, it’s not completely about me. What each of us does affects the others. Partners, remember? We’re in this together.” In that, he finds a moment of peace.

“However, I want to be clear about something. When this conversation is finished, your involvement in my love life is over,” A glimmer of tears pooled behind her lenses as she continued. “You will have no say in who I date. No right to act jealous or hurt by the decisions I make to be happy. You got what you wanted. Now we both have to live with it.”

He stepped forward at her obvious pain but stopped as she backed away, holding her hand up to ward him off. Her other arm wrapped tightly around her, shielding herself from the pain… or him.

A tremulous tone threaded through her voice as she pressed on, “You are my partner, my friend… and I love you. Falling in love with you would have been so easy and staying in love with you would have been worth the fight. I want everything with you, I wish you felt the same.”

Not knowing if it would make it better or worse he spoke, “Felicity, I…” _do feel the same way. I want to be with you. I’m in love with you. I would do anything to make you happy. I want a future with you._ “don’t know what to say.”

Felicity simply closed her eyes, schooled her features and walked away.

His heart broke for them both and this **was** his fault.


End file.
